Engine monitoring systems for towplanes

A graphic engine monitor will show CHT and EGT for each cylinder and
you'll spend more time looking at it than looking out the window. Please
read this article
https://www.avweb.com/news/features/Shock-Cooling-Time-to-Kill-the-Myth-230134-1.html.

On 9/6/2018 4:03 PM, wrote:
Hey, gang,

Soon we will be putting an overhauled engine on our Pawnee, and I am wondering if anyone has had experience with or has comments on engine monitoring systems on towplanes.

I am thinking a basic system with all 6 cylinders CHT (and EGT?) monitored, a shock cooling warning system, and data logging. Would monitoring other parameters be useful, also? If so, what parameters (adding sensors adds up $$$)?

Is such a system useful and helpful for our type of flight duty cycle (e.g., towing)? Do the shock cooling warning systems work for our very unique type of operations (I guess they are just an alarm if the rate of CHT drop exceeds a set value?)? Is the data logging useful for monitoring/predicting engine health and life? Am I overthinking/overkilling this issue?????

Thanks,
Jim


--
Dan, 5J

We went with 6 cyl CHT only.

What I will say is that after the first year.. we don't really stare at it.

BUT.. it exposed some horrible standardization (our own fault) among the tow pilots.

I believe it was worth it's money from that standpoint alone. We didn't discover the operational error until we got comparing notes of temps amongst a few of the pilots.

JP

On Saturday, September 8, 2018 at 5:32:18 AM UTC-5, wrote:
We went with 6 cyl CHT only.

What I will say is that after the first year.. we don't really stare at it.